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CWG, Asian Games among reasons to partner Jwala: Ashwini

New Delhi, Sep 24 IANS | 1 year ago

Top women's doubles shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa said here Tuesday that the Commonwealth and the Asian Games next year are among the main reasons that prompted her to pair up again with former partner Jwala Gutta.

The 2011 World Championship bronze medal winning pair split after the 2012 London Olympics.

Jwala took a sabbatical while Ashwini decided to partner Pradnya Gadre. Last month, they again decided to come together and their first campaign will be the Denmark Open Super Series Premier in Odense Oct 15-20.

"There are a lot of reasons for getting back with her but it is really nice that we are together again. Jwala and I have done really well in the past. With the Commonwealth and Asian Games coming up, the two of us pairing up made more sense because we are really ambitious girls who want to do well," Ashwini, who won the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold with Jwala, told IANS.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow while the Asian Games will take place at Incheon next year.

The 24-year-old Ashwini has been training in Bangalore since the Indian Badminton League (IBL) ended in August and will now be coached by Dronacharya awardee S.M. Arif for the first time in more than a year.

"I have been training in Bangalore with my mixed doubles partner (Tarun Kona). Now the two of us are going to Hyderabad where we will join Jwala and train under Arif sir. I am really looking forward to having two good weeks there," added Ashwini, who will also play the French Open Super Series (Oct 22-27) and the Bitburger SaarLoxLux Open Grand Prix Gold (Oct 29-Nov 3).

"It is going to be different. We have three tournaments coming up and it is important that Jwala and I get along and play really well and try and get past as many rounds as possible," she said.